Chair iron



1932- D. R. COLLIER ET AL 1,872,894

- CHAIR IRON Filed May 13, 1930 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED 1 STATE-S.

PATENT mm,

. JDAVIIJR. COLLIER AND HENRY w. sHELnRIox, on ,GARJ-J'NYER,MASSACHUSETTS, AS-

SIGNORS TO COLLIER-KEYWORTH (LOIILII.A1\TY,

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS or" GARDNER, M ssAoHus 'rTs, A,

" orcnrrt IRoiv Application filed ma 13, 1930. serum to. 451,9ss.-

This invention relates to chair irons for revolvlng chalrs. Heretofore 1t has been customary to place between the adjusting nuton the threaded spindle, which supports the chair seat, and a sleeve carried by the legs and within which the spindle may be rotated, a member called a J washer, which has a spline projecting into a slot extending longitudinal-- 1y 'of the spindle. In accordance with the present invention the J washer is formed as a raceway member of an anti-frlction bear- 7 ing. 1

For ease of manufacture and assembly it is desirable to extend the spindle slot to its lower end. It is also desirable for ease of shipment and for other purposes that the seat portion of the chair should be readily detachable from the base or leg portion, the spindle being removable from the sleeve. Such disassembly, however, in the absence of special pro vision thereagainst, would permit the. J

' washer to drop oif at the lower end of the spindle, and as it is a relatively small part it would be liable to be lost during shipment. A further feature of invention, therefore, re

lates to means for preventing detachment of the J washer from the spindle.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figures 1 and 2are a top plan and a fragmentary side elevation, respectively, of a chair iron embodying this invention.

Figure 3 is a section to a larger scale on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of theJ washer and bearing. 1

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bottom plate in its fiat form prior to being bent to conform to the under edges of the'chair legs.

Referring to the drawing, at 1 is inclicated a chair spindle for supporting the seat of the chair (not shown). This spindle is shown ascarrying at its upper end, frame pieces 2 to which the chair seat may be fixed in the usual manner and as shown these pieces 2 are secured for tilting movement opposed by springs 3 to a head portion 4: carried at the ed and which is carried bythe base portion 12 g as the stock in which thethreads are cutto form the upper threaded portion 5'. 1

Extending longitudinally-of this spindle 1 Q is a slot 7 within which rides'a projecting spline 8 of a combined J washer and bearing indicated generally at 9. This J washer and bearing is placed between a nut 10 engaging the threaded portion 5 of the spindle and a sleeve 11 in which the spindle is slidably guidofthe chair, this base portion includingthe. chair legs; The sleeve 11 is shown as provided near its upper end with a peripheral groove 13 and between this groove and the adjacent upper end of the sleeve its maximum diame- Y ter portion as at 14, is less than the maximum diameter of the combined J washer and bearing 9, for a purpose which will later appear. As shown this combined J washer and bearing 9 comprises a lower annular member 15 trough-shaped in cross section and having a marginal outwardly extending flange 16. An upper raceway member 17 'is shown: as provided vwith an internal dependingflange 18 which extends inwardlyof the member 15 and it also is shown as provided with adepending outer flangel9 projecting downwardly beyond the flange 16 and being provided at suitably spaced intervals with lug portions 20, which, after the bearing is assembled, are bent under the flange 16 of the lowermember, thus to retain these members in assembled relation as shown in Figure 3. Before these raceway. members are attached together as thus described, anti-friction rolling elements such asballs 21 are placed therebetween. The

flange 18 is not essential but when employed provides a longer bearing on the spindle 7 than when it is omitted and thus avoids any possibility of this combined J washer'and bearing crampingthereon.

' Fixed to the nut 10 is a bell member 25 which depends from the nut and encloses the J washer and bearing 9 and the upper portion of the sleeve 11. It is shown as provided at 7, with a block 27 through which and the flange 26 is extended a screw 28 This screw, when in normal position, has its inner end 29 pro: jecting intothe groove 13 of the sleeve and thus prevents the sleeve 11 -from being de-' tached from the spindle. It may, however, be

"withdrawn by unscrewing until it passes out of the groove 29,whereupon thesleeve 11' may beremoved fromthe spindle sothat the base portion of-the chairmay be separated from the seat portion and. spindle. As shown, however, the screw' 28 is mutilated as at"'30 at such a point that it cannot bewithdrawn I downwardly from the edges'oi said plate and overlapping'the adjacent edgesgof the lower sufficiently to permit the 'combinedJ washer vand hearing19 tolbe moved therepast,this

member-being of greater diametersthan the:

upper. end of the sleeve, as heretofore mentioned, sorthat the ,J washer andbearin-g cannot be taken 011' from the. lower endeofpthe V 1 .spindlell. ,Sincethis screw-28 iscarriedby the nut 10 and the nut :IOcannot passdown v over-theunthreadedlower portionof'the spindle, th-e J washer is thus heldfrom accidental :rdetaehmend-as its possibleextent of motion #betweenthe lower face of then-utlO and the end of-the screw 28 is lessfthan the length of theunthreadedportion*ofthe spindle Thus "accidental detachment of the J washer and ibearing is prevented, while separation of the I seat portion and the spindle from the base portion is permitted when desired and this withoutrequiring the slot? otthe spindle'to t :beterminated above its lower end.

base, a'bottom plate-40 isattached to the chair legs. This plate mayconsist. of a; sheet metal stamping .inv the form of an annulus: havingplacedagainst the under-edges of 't'heiassem dished 'formshown in Figure 2. The prongs" ldienter the legs and :hold the plate in posi In orderto stiflien and strengthen the chair a central aperture :42 and radiatingarms .43,

ionejarmrfor eachchairileg. 'Theplateisprovided with suitablyfplaced holes ifiortscnews;

On each :arm 43 a prong 34d maybe struckiup. In assembling the chair base, the :plate $0 is bled oha'irlegs and is struck to bend it from the i fiat condition shown :in Figure 5 .to the time while wood screws are inserted-through- ;the screw holes of the plate. i

Anem'bodim'en-t of this invention haviin thus been described, it should be evident to thoseskililed in the art (that various changes andjmodifications might :be made therein I without departing from the spirit or scope of V ;Efih1S invention as defined by the appended raceway members assembled for relative rotation, said washer having an inwardly projecting element for engagement in the longitudinal slot in a chair spindle and a downwardly projecting flange on its outer edge overlapping the 'outereclge of said channel. 7

1 2. A combined bearingandJwasher, comprising a lower annular trough-shaped raceway member having a radial marginal flange,

an upper raceway member comprising an annular plate 1 having an inward projection for engagement inthe longitudinalslotofa chair spindle and rolling elements between said "members, said upper raceway member also having inner ,and outer flanges extending raceway member, and elements on the outer flange extending under said radial flange to prevent disassembly of said raceway memgroove and its adjacent end, .and'means'earried by said-nut normally engaging ins-aid groove to prevent disengagement :of said sleeve and spindle and retractable sufficiently to permitgnemoval of said sleeve.,b-ut insufficiently topermit removal of said J washer;

4. In combination, a 'threadedachair spindle having a {slot longitudinal thereof, a

H'sleevetfor receiving said spindle *andhaving a peripheral grooveadj acent; to itssupperend,

end iOjfSflld ,sleeve and of .an outer diameter greater than that of said :sleeve betweenvsaid groove and itsupper' end .a bell carried by' ;.and:covermgisaid nutandalsoenclosing said J washer and the upper Jend'of said sleeve, a

screwcarried. by \saidibell in position tohave its inner end engaging'in said groove to-normally prevent detachment ofsai-dsleeve from said spindle, :said screw having a portion formed to prevent its withdrawal sufficiently :to permit removal of :said J washer permitting suflicient withdrawal to permit re-' moval of said sleeve from said spindle :5. In aCOl-Tiblllt'bldl'l, .a threaded ichair spindle having a longitudinal slot, a J washer 1 having a projection engaging in said slot, a nut on said spindle andzremova ble therewith from 'a :chair base, and means carried by said nutter preventing removal of sa-idJ washer if-rom saidsp'indle apartfrom said nut. i

6. In combination, j a chair" spindle t hreaded at its upper portionand unthreaded at-its lowerend where it is of at-diameter substantiirl'ly greater than the thread roots oi the. I threaded portion, said spindle havi-ng a slot a-niut engaging the threads of said spindle, a

-.J washer. between said nut and the grooved V extending longitudinally to its lower end, a nut engaging said threaded portion, a J washer having a portion engaging in said groove, and means carried by said nut to limit the possible separation of said nut and J Washer to less than the length of said unthreaded portion, thereby to prevent the removal of said J Washer at the lower end of said spindle.

In testimony whereof we have aifixed our signatures.

DAVID R. COLLIER. HENRY W. SHELDRICKL 

